Straightening machine



1939- F. K. PLYMPTON ET AL Filed Aug. 6, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS F .w witf" ATTORNEY 1939- F. K. PLYMPTON El AL 2,149,069

STRAIGHTENING MACHINE Filed Aug. 6. 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 NVENT S 9; W,

ATTORNEY F. K. FLYMPTON ET AL STRAIGHTENING MACHINE 3 Shets-Sheet 5 Filed Aug. 6, 1936 F INVE RY ag m M. 2434; .9. 44.9-

ATTORNEY Patented Feb. 28, 1939 PATENT- OFFICE 2,149,069 7 smarcnrame MACHINE Frederic K. Plympton, Fairiield, Conn and Lowell Emerson, Pawtucket, R. I.

Application August 6, 1936, Serial No. 94,660

5 Claims.

The invention herein disclosed relates to a machine for straightening sheet material, such, for example, as paper, pulp-board, photographic prints, coated sheet material and similar materials of a somewhat flexible nature that have a tendency to curl.

When straightening materials such as these in the manner that is customarily employed, there is a tendency for the surface of the material to check or crack. Because of diificulties encountered in the paper and pulp board mills it is not possible to obtain single ply paper and pulp board in thickness of five hundredths of an inch or greater in roll form. However, laminated paper and pulp board of almost any thickness is readily made by pasting together any caliper paper or pulp board. But because of the checking and cracking of the surface when such stock is straightened in the customary manner, it has not heretofore been feasible to supply such stock in roll form as the checking and cracking of builtup stock is even more serious than the single ply stock.

By using a machine constructed in accordance with this invention, these difficulties are eliminated as paper or pulp-board stock of any caliper that is now used may be straightened from aroll without checking or cracking the surface of the stock. In accordance with the invention, there is provided a machine which includes a roller having a resilient surface and a metalroller positioned to cooperate with the resilientsurface roller. The stock to be straightened passes between these rollers and the metal roller is urged against the resilient-surface roller with a force, the magnitude of which is in accordance with the character of the stock and the extent of the curl in the stock.

An advantage of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention is the fact that when operating upon stock in roll form it simultaneously unwinds and straightens the stock. Another advantage of the invention is the fact that stock of various thickness may be straightened on the same machine, and a further advantage is the fact that in certain forms of the machine the straightening eifect is automatically adjusted in accordance with the extent of the curl in the stock.

A machine embodying the invention and certain modifications thereof areillustrated in the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the machine;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 3 is a front elevation of a modified form of the machine;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary, side elevationof the machine shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of another modified form of the machine; and

. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the same.

The machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 includes a frame that comprises a bed I and an upright 2 at one end of the bed. The bed consists of spaced frame elements In and lb and the upright likewise consists of spaced frame elements 2a and 21) extending upwardly from the frame elements of the bed. At the end of the bed onposite to that end from which the upright extends, there is provided a bracket on each frame element such as the bracket 3. These brackets are of a type well known in the art and are provided with a depression in which is received a shaftJ that supports a roll of stock in. In mounting a roll of stock on the machine, the shaft 4 is inserted through the hole in the core provided therefor and theshaft is placed in the depressionsin the brackets 3.

Mounted between the upright elements 2a and 2b, there is a roller 5 which may have a metal core but does have a resilient surface that is preferably formed of rubber. This-roll is mounted on a shaft 6 that is journaled in bearing brackets I and 8 part of each of which is formed in the uprights flu and 2b and part of which is formed by bearing caps as illustrated. On one end of the shaft 6 there is mounted a worm gear 9 which meshes with a worm i0 mounted in a bracket II on the side of the upright element 2a. The, worm Ill isdriven through a chain I2 which engages a sprocket on the end of the shaft on which the worm is mounted and another sprocket on the end of a shaft l3 that extends from a reduction gearing indicated by the casing l4 enclosing the gearing. The reduction gearing is of the usual type and connects an electric motor and the shaft l3. Preferably, the reduction gearing may be a variable speed gearing in which case a manually operative control element such as the hand wheel I6 is provided for varying the speed at which the roller 5 is rotated. Directly above the bearing brackets I and 8 in which the shaft 6 is journaled, the uprights 2a and 21) have formed therein U-shaped recesses. In each of these recesses there is mounted a bearing block such. as the bearing block II, the bearing blocks being slidably mounted in the recesses. In these bearing blocks there is journaled the shaft of a steel roller l8 which is positioned to cooperate with the resilient-surface roller 5. The metal roller I8 is approximately one-fifth the diameter of the resilient-surface roller 5 and it is adapted to bear against the resilient roller. Cam elements such as the cam element l9 on the block I! are provided on the upper edge of these slidably mounted bearing blocks. These cam elements, which have a convexed surface, cooperate with other cam elements which act to force the slidably mounted bearings downwardly and thus cause the metal roller l8 to bear against the resilient-surface roller 5 and effect a pressure between these two rollers. In front of the rollers 5 and l 8, there are, journaled in bearing brackets 21, guide rollers 22 and 23 of a type that is commonly used in the art. Similar guides may also be provided on the opposite or entering side of the rollers 5 and I8.

For the purpose of forcing the roller l8 against the roller 5, constantly increasing cam surfaces 24 and 25 are formed respectively on lever elements 26 and 21. These lever elements are mounted upon a shaft 28 that is journaledin bearing brackets 29 and 30 on the upright elements 2b and 2a. The cam levers are secured to a casting 32 that is pivotally mounted upon the shaft 28 intermediate the cam levers 26 and 21. These cams are preferably made of hardened steel and are secured to the casting for movement therewith. On the upper end of the casting there is formed a projection 33 which has an opening therethrough to receive a pin 34. The pin 34 pivotally secures the projection 32 to the bifurcated end of a link 35. The link 35 has intermediate its ends a common form of adjustment mechanism denoted generally by the numeral 36 for the purpose of adjusting the length of the link. The opposite end of the link 35 is also bifurcated and a pin 31 extends between the bifurcated end of the link. The pin 31 also extends through a slot in a bracket 33 that extends substantially perpendicular from a lever 39.

The lever 39 which is provided with a slida'oie weight 39 is pivoted between the uprights 2a and 2b on a shaft 45 that extends between the uprights and is secured thereto. On the opposite end of the lever, there is mounted a roller 4i which rides upon a roll of stock, such as the roll 4a, mounted in the machine. The pin 31 is secured to an adjusting screw 42 that is threaded into the upper end of the bracket 38 and which extends into the slot in the bracket, longitudinally thereof. By rotating the screw 42, the pin 31 may be adjusted longitudinally of the slot 38. It will be seen that the integral arm or bracket 38 with the lever 39 constitute a bell crank lever and the crank or throw of this bell crank lever in so far as its action on the link 35 is concerned, may be adjusted by the adjusting screw 42. This adjustment is provided for the purpose of adjusting the pressure to be exerted on the stock in accordance with the thickness of the stock being passed through the machine. The adjusting mechanism 36 in the link 35 controls the positioning of the cam surfaces 24 and 25 so that these may be positioned in relation to the roll of stock such that the straightening action will be uniform upon rolls of similar diameter and stock.

In the operation of the machine, the stock from the roll 4a is fed, through guide rollers, between the rollers l8 and 5 and between the guide rollers 20 and 23. The motor 15 rotates the roller 5 and thus feeds the stock through the machine. The roller 4| on the lever 39 rests upon the surface of the roll of stock. As the roll decreases, the lever 39 swings about its pivot 40, the outer end of the lever moving downwardly towards the center of the roll of stock. This downward movement of the lever 39, through the bracket 38, pulls upon the link 35 and swings the casting 32 about the shaft 28 thus causing the cam levers 26 and 21 to move forwardly or to the left from the position shown in Fig. 1. As these cam levers move forwardly their constantly increasing radii press upon the cams secured to the bearing brackets" in which the roller i8 is journaled and thus force the roller with a force of increasing magnitude against the resilient-surface roller 5. The pressure between the rollers I8 and 5 is thus graduated or varied in accordance with the diameter of the roll of stock on the machine. In other words, since the curl or ourvature of the stock increases as it is closer to the core on which it is wound, the pressure between the rollers i8 and 5 is increased in accordance with the increase in the curl of the stock.

The effect of running stock through the machine is to permanently straighten the stock while it is being unwound from the roll. It appears that the shortened fibers on the inner surface of the stock are permanently stretched in passing between the rollers 5 and 18 so that as the material passes through the machine a permanent straightening is obtained.

The machine illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 is for straightening stock having a greater width than the stock for which the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is designed. The difference between the machine illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, and that illustrated in Fig. 1, is the manner in which the force is applied to the metal roller to cause it to bear against the resilient-surface roller. Where a long metal roller is used, and the force is applied at the bearings only, there is a tendency for the roller to bend or how. The machine illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 eliminates this tendency as the force is applied more or less uniformly along the metal roller.

In the machine illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the resilient-surface roller 43 is mounted upon a shaft 44 that is journaled in bearing brackets formed in the spaced frame elements 45 and 46. On the shaft 44 there is mounted a worm wheel 45 which may be driven in the same manner as the wheel 9 in the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 is driven. The uprights of the frame ole-- ments 45 and 46 have a deep U-shaped slot formed therein and in this slot there is received and slidably mounted therein bearing elements 41 and 48. These bearing elements are elongated and serve as journals for a shaft 49 upon which a relatively small steel roller 58 is mounted and a shaft 5| upon which a relatively heavy, and preferably chilled iron, roller 52 is mounted. As illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4 the chilled iron roller 52 is in rolling contact with the metal roller 50. The weight of the roller 52 is sufficient to apply to the roller a force of a magnitude that will effect a pressure between the rollers 43 and 50 sufficient to straighten the largest caliper stock that is utilized. The bearing blocks 41 and 48 are supported by arms 53 and 54 that are mounted upon a shaft 55 which extends from bosses formed on the upright frame elements 45 and 46. Each arm carries a hardened steel concaved cam element 56 which engages, in line contact, a similarly shaped concaved hardened steel cam block 51 that is mounted upon the bearing block. Movement of the levers 53 about the axes of the shaft 55 varies the effective force that is applied as a result of the weight of the roller 52. It is only when the cam surfaces 56 carried by these arms are out of contact with the cam blocks 51 that the entire weight of the roller 52 is utilized in forcing the roller 50 against the resilient-surface roller 43. This force is not necessary for any of the stocks that are now used.

The arms 53 and 54 each carry a cam roller 58 which rides upon earns 59 mounted upon a shaft 60 that extends between and is journaled in bearing brackets 6|. The bearing brackets BI are secured to the frame elements 45 and 45. A lever 63 extends from the shaft and to this lever there is secured the bifurcated end of a link 64. The other end of this link 64 is secured in the same manner as the link 35 of the machine illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 to a bell crank lever similgiia' to the lever 39. With this construction it" will be seen that as a roll of paper decreases in diameter, the lever will move about its pivotal connection towards the center of the roll and'thus exert a pull upon the link 64. The pull upon the link 64 will cause rotation of the shaft 60 and movement of the cams 59. The

cam rollers 58 will ride down the surface of the cams thus causing the levers 53 to move downwardly about their pivotal axes. As the levers 53 move downwardly about their pivotal axes a greater amount of the weight of the roller 52 is rendered effective for causing pressure between the rollers 43 and 50. Thus the effective force exerted upon the roller 50 to cause it to bear againstthe roller 43 is varied in accordance with the diameter of a roll of stock mounted on the machine.

In the machine illustrated in Figs. 3 and 4, the shaft 5| which carries the relatively heavy roller 52 and the shaft 49 are journaled in the same bearing blocks 41 and 4B. As constructed, shafts 5| and 49 are fixed with respect to each other. It is obvious of course that these shafts may be made relatively movable with respect to each other either by providing separate bearings for the shaft 49 that are slidably mounted in the bearing blocks 41 and 48, or separating the bearing sections of the blocks 41 and 48 so that the shaft 5| is journaled in separate bearings and the shaft 49 is journaled in other bearings both of which are movable radially of the roller 43 and also movable with respect to each other.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that by this invention there is provided a machine which will effectively straighten sheet material that has a tendency to curl. The invention accomplishes this objective irrespective of the thickness of the stock without checking or cracking the surface of even highly finished stock or coated stock.

It will be obvious that various changes may be made in the modifications of the invention disclosed by those skilled in the art within the principle and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a machine of the type described for straightening sheet material, a frame having provision for rotatably supporting a roll of sheet material, a roller having a resilient surface rotatably mounted in the frame, a hard surfaced roller rotatably mounted in the frame and positioned to cooperate with the resilient-surface roller, and

material, a roller having a resilient surface rotatably mounted in the frame, a hard surfaced roller rotatably mounted in the frarne and positioned to cooperate with the resilient-surface roller, and means for applying a force to the hard-surface roller to urge it against the resilient-surface roller including slidably mounted bearings for .the hard-surface roller, cams mounted on the bearings, a lever, cams mounted on the lever and cooperating with the cams on the bearings, and means for actuating the lever in accordance with the diameter of a roll of sheet material mounted on the machine.

3. In a machine for straightening sheet material of the type described, the combination including a frame having provision for rotatably supporting a roll of sheet material, a roller having a resilient surface rotatably mounted in the frame, a hard-surfaced roller rotatably mounted in the frame and positioned to cooperate with the resilient-surfaced roller, means for effecting pressure between the rollers, and means for controlling the pressure between the rollers in accordance with the diameter of a roll of sheet material mounted on the machine including means operative in accordance with the diameter of a roll of sheet material mounted on the machine for relieving the pressure-effecting means.

4. In a machine for straightening sheet material of the type described, the combination comprising a frame havingprovision for rotatably supporting a roll of sheet material, a roller having a resilient surface rotatably mounted in the frame, a hard-surfaced roller rotatably mounted in the frame and positioned to cooperate with the resilient-surfaced roller, and means for applying a force to the hard-surfaced roller to urge it against the resilient-surfaced roller including slidably mounted bearings for the hardsurfaced roller, a relatively heavy roller positioned to bear upon the hard-surfaced roller, means for varying the effect of said relatively heavy roller including means for supporting the heavy roller and means for varying the effect of said supporting means including a lever and means for positioning the lever.

5. In a machine for straightening sheet material of the type described, the combination comprising a frame having provision for rotatably supporting a roll of sheet material, a roller having a resilient surface rotatably mounted in the frame, a hard-surfaced roller rotatably mounted in the frame and positioned to cooperate with the resilient-surfaced roller and means for applying a force to the hard-surfaced roller to urge it against the resilient-surfaced roller including bearings for the hard-surfaced roller slidably mounted in the frame, a relatively heavy roller positioned to bear upon the hard-surfaced roller. bearings for the heavy roller slidably mounted in the frame, and means for controlling the effective force exerted by the heavy roller in accordance with the diameter of a roll of sheet material mounted on the machine including means for supporting the heavy roller and means operative in accordance with the diameter of a roll of sheet material mounted on the machine for varying the effect of said support.

FREDERIC K. PLYMPTON. LOWELL EMERSON. 

